WARNING: Popular “Child-Friendly” Hobby Is Spreading Serious Infection to Kids

One of the most popular attractions, by far, at many birthday parties and other fun events for children is the inflatable bounce house. These trampoline-like, inflatable playgrounds can keep most children occupied for hours at a time.

But they can also carry great risk. Brenda Sanderson noticed a series of odd sores on her 10-year-old son’s body in the days after he played in a bouncy house at a summer graduation party.

At first, both Sanderson and her son wrote off the sores as nothing more than burn marks from the plastic on the bounce house, which seemed like a plausible explanation. But only after a trip to the doctor was her worst nightmare confirmed.

The marks, which were growing in size and emitting ooze, indicated a full-blown staph infection.

Staph infections can easily turn into a deadly situation if they’re not treated quickly and properly. When Sanderson’s doctor learned that her son had been playing in a bounce house, which are typically used by thousands of children without regular cleanings, he knew then and there that was likely a staph issue.

“It is like a wrestling mat. Staph infections come from a gym or something that’s not being washed or cleansed properly will start to create a bacteria,” the doctor said (H/T Mad World News).

Turns out, inflatables like bounce houses, which are typically rented out, are inspected for safety by state officials, but not for cleanliness. Keeping them sterile and bacteria-free is the responsibility of the owner.

It’s certainly not an easy job to protect your child from these kinds of infections, but before renting an inflatable bouncy structure, it’s recommended to ask the owner about their cleaning procedures.

Should your child develop any sores after playing in one, an immediate trip to the doctor might very well save your child’s life.